TELLING AMERICA
By AN AMERICAN JOURNALIST IN LONDON
Fsome months now American correspondents in London have been busy dodging luncheon-dates and cocktail- parties with people who want to " help them get more infor- mation " about the situation here. Without exception these are well-wishing, public-spirited people, whose honest inten- tion is to do something to help the cause of Anglo-American co-operation, and incidentally, of course, to speed American participation in the war. Without exception they fail to grasp the fact that the American people already have more information about the situation here than they appear able to digest.
Since long before the last war the American Press has been receiving comprehensive and, in general, accurate reports about this country and the Empire. Since the American declaration of war in 1917 these reports have grown in volume and in quality. During the years immediately preceding this war a large corps of trained American correspondents continued to report on developments in the political, social and economic spheres. Everything that happened here was subjected to careful scrutiny, and on many occasions, I think it is fair to say, the American Press did a far better job of reporting British affairs than did the Press of this country itself. Through what it regards as sheer loyalty, and occasionally perhaps because of mere conservatism, the Press of this country is inclined to " pull its punches." Although our own Press has its faults, and may often seem irresponsible to people here, it does enjoy a refreshing absence of restraint in dealing with world-affairs. So when your own Press has refused to do so we have often taken the liberty of washing your linen for you.
We did this, much to your annoyance, at the time of Sanc- tions, when you decided upon non-intervention in Spain during the months preceding the Abdication, and throughout the troubled days immediately before the war. Every move that your Government made, every swerve of public opinion, and every noteworthy act or word of your politicians was duly cabled across the Atlantic and put in print. Some of our ablest American radio-commentators were here in London to supplement this non-stop flow of words. We didn't do a perfect job, heaven knows, and we indulged in a great deal of recrimination which we might better have spared for our. selves. But we did tell the story, night and day, year in and year out, and sometimes we may have told it too well.
At the beginning of the present war in September, 1939, some restrictions were placed on the activities of all foreign correspondents here, and these applied in general to the American correspondents. " Security " considerations have led to the suppression of many interesting facts about the activities of the services. On some occasions the censorship has been grievously unimaginative in quashing stories whose publication in America would have served the British cause. Yet, as war-time censorships go, the British censorship has not been too bad. At least it does not claim the privilege of censoring ".personal opinion," and correspondents have considerable latitude in commenting upon developments There are complaints, yes, and no American correspondent would whitewash the censorship. But still it is true to sac that it could have been infinitely worse, and that it does not prevent us from putting across the story of Britain at war.
A more substantial complaint is that the British Service Ministries and the Ministry of Information have not taken the initiative in producing news and dishing it out to Ameri and other foreign correspondents. The Admiralty has lived up to the reputation of the Silent Service by concealing almos everything which circumstances have not made it utterly necessary to reveal. The Army at home has not had mu to offer, but it has done its best. In the Near East, accor to all reports, it has done as well. The Air Ministry, so mans old and experienced hands doing the work, has main- rained good relations with the American Press. The chief complaint there is that the chiefs of the--R.A.F. still try insist upon anonymity ; that the American public is deprived of glorying in the exploits of a nice collection of flashy an very individualistic " aces."
In spite of all these difficulties any American correspondent who has worked around the world, in Berlin or Rome Tokyo or Moscow or -the Balkans, will tell you that it is not too hard to work in war-time England, and I believe tha anybody who has followed the despatches of Ameri correspondents stationed in London during the last generati will agree that, all in all, they have given a pretty fair moving picture of what has happened.
Why, then, is it that everybody complains that the Bri situation has not been properly explained to the Ameri people? The real complaint, certainly, is not that the Brio situation has not been fully explained, but that it is not being understood by the American people in such a way as to 1 to speedier and more effective action on their part. If tha correction be granted the answer is simple.
First the nature of the news about this country may no have been of the kind to inspire other people to join in the war. Again, the American people, who are addicted, like all other people, to reading the headlines and nothing more may not have used the information which has been put at their disposal. Finally, the ingrained desire of- the American people to stay out of this war may be-so strong that nothing that could have happened here and nothing that could have been said about it would have led to intervention before now The point to be remembered is that, far from being mis- understood and under-advertised, you are in fact living in I glass-house. If you make mistakes they will be made known to Americans. If you let anybody down the Americans Na know about it, and, being extremely human people, will criti you for it. If you are brave the Americans will know bon it, and if you have brilliant successes you will be given credit for them. If you give way to reaction it will be Imo from the Atlantic to the Pacific: If you are enlightened abo things, you will not be lacking in admirers. Nobody can whether or not the Americans will go to war, but they neither stay out of the war or come into it because they area being told what you are doing. That, at least, is the hum opinion of just one individual among scores who make it business to do the telling.
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